Holder for a number of associated individual containers

ABSTRACT

A stackable holder for a number of individual containers, for vegetables and fruit, with a plate which carries the containers by their bottom and is provided with openings and raised parts to ventilate the contents of the containers.

United States atent Van Daalen 1 June 6, 1972 HOLDER FOR A NUMBER OFASSOCIATED INDIVIDUAL CONTAINERS Leendert Van Daalen, Slikkerveer,Netherlands lnventor:

Assignee: N. V. Plastic lndustrie Van Daalen,

Sliedrecht, Netherlands Filed: Mar. 18, 1970 Applv No.: 20,741

Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 26, 1969 Netherlands ..6904643US. Cl. ..220/23.4, 206/65 R, 217/26,

220/236, 220/97 B Int. Cl. ..B65d 69/00, B65d 21/02 Field of Search..220/23.4, 23.6, 97 B, 97 R;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1882 Cochrane ..2l7/26 UX2/1968 Ettlinger.... 217/26 X 11/1963 Crane..." 229/87 F 6/1968Whiteford. ..220/23.4 2/1970 Bessett 217/265 X Primary E.raminer-GeorgeE. Lowrance Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen ABSTRACT Astackable holder for a number of individual containers, for vegetablesand fruit, with a plate which carries the containers by their bottom andis provided with openings and raised parts to ventilate the contents ofthe containers.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEBJUH 6 [912 3,667, 647

SHEET 2 or 3 PATENTEUM 5 m2 SHEET 3 [1F 3 HOLDER FOR A NUMBER OFASSOCIATED INDIVIDUAL CONTAINERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Theinvention relates to a holder for a number of associated individualcontainers, particularly for packing vegetables and fruit.

For the transport of vegetables and fruit from the grower to the marketnowadays often, preferably plastic made, skeleton cases are employedwhich only once are used. These cases, due to their construction, do notonly meet the requirements of a proper protection for the contents butalso of a sufficient ventilation thereof. The latter condition is e.g.for mushrooms of great importance.

Since these large packings obviously are unfit to be delivered togetherwith their contents to the consumer the contents should be transferredto smaller units viz. to small containers in which the vegetables or thefruit are supplied to the retailer or supermarket. This repacking doesnot only raise the price, but moreover has the drawback that frequentlyvegetables or fruit, after having been kept for some time in thesecontainers, fall off in quality or even deteriorate entirely.Ventilation of the contents of these containers, which are often storedin boxes, is namely entirely non-existent.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention toprovide a packing for vegetables and fruit which is constructed in sucha way that the products concerned can already be packed in thecontainers by the grower, whereby always a number of these containersare united to a unit, which units are brought to the market andtherefrom finally reach the place of sale. In addition this packingshould meet all requirements of the conventional large packings,particularly as to the ventilation of the contents.

According to the invention these conditions are satisfied by a holderwhich is characterized by a plate on which the individual containers canbe detachably secured by their bottom on a number of supporting surfacewhich each are provided with one or more openings coinciding at leastpartially with openings in the bottoms of the respective containers,while these supporting faces, at the location of at least portions ofthe vertical projections thereon of the upper edges of the containers,are connected with deepened portions, substantially situated in oneplane, serving as supporting faces for stacking the plate on a similarunit thereunder, while furthermore in the plate, outside of the bottomsboundary of the containers to be disposed thereon, apertures areprovided via which when a number of units are stacked, the respectivespaces above the containers communicate with the atmosphere.

With such a packing a correct choice of the material makes it possibleto obtain a proper protection of the contents. By securing a number ofcontainers on the plates units are formed which can be stacked and as aconsequence can be treated and conveyed in the same way as theconventional large packings. The presence of the ventilation aperturesin the bottom of the containers and the fact that always when a numberof containers are stacked, the space above each container communicateson the one hand, via the apertures in the bottom, with the containersituated over it and on the other hand, via the apertures in the plate,with the atmosphere ensures an excellent ventilation of the containers.The holders with the containers secured thereon may be displayed at theplace of sale and the buyers can remove the desired number of containersfrom the holder.

Preferably the deepened parts on the outer edges of the plate merge intoa downwardly pressed-out, surrounding, stacking edge. Hereby a surestacking of the holders is ensured while the risk of sidewise shiftingis avoided.

The plate can be reinforced in the way that the supporting faces are atleast bounded on two sides by a downwardly pressed-out reinforcingprofile.

Preferably each container is closed by a preferably transparent foil,provided with apertures.

The positioning of the containers on the plates during the manufacturingis facilitated when the supporting faces are provided with centeringcams for the containers.

The whole can be entirely plastic made; the containers can be secured tothe supporting faces by welding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective under view ofthe holder according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective upper view of the plate with a number ofcontainers provided thereon;

FIG. 3 is a cross section according to the line IIIIII in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an individual container provided with aclosing foil;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment according to theinvention.

DESCRIPTION The plate which is denoted as a whole by the numeralreference 1, comprises a number, in the shown embodiment six, ofsupporting faces 2 in each of which a central, large, opening 3 isformed. On these supporting faces 2 fit the containers 4 which aresecured thereon by means of four spot welds 5.

A number of apertures 6, e.g. are formed in the bottom of eachcontainer, which lie within the delimitation of the large opening 3.Obviously it would be sufficient to form only four apertures 6,coinciding with the apertures 6 in the supporting faces 2, instead ofthe single large opening, but the cutting out of the large opening givesa certain saving of material since the material which is cut-out can beground and used again.

The supporting faces are provided with upright centering cams 7 whichfacilitate the correct placement of the containers 4 prior to theirsecuring by welding.

As is shown in the figures the supporting faces merge into a number ofdeepened parts. Along the outer walls of the plate these deepened partsare formed by the longitudinal edges 8, 9 and in the central portion ofthe plate these deepened parts are formed by the cross-shaped parts 10.Both the longitudinal edges 8 and the transverse edges 9 are prolongedby inwardly protruding parts 11, 12, respectively.

A downwardly directed frame of ribs l3, l4 enhances the rigidity of theplate.

FIG. 2 shows how the supporting faces are provided beyond the bottomdelimitation of the containers disposed thereon with ventilationapertures 15, 16. The purpose of these aper tures will be clarifiedhereinafter with reference to FIG. 3.

The edges 8, 9 merge into stacking surfaces l0, 11 which ensure thatwhen a number of plates provided with containers are stacked no shiftingwith respect to each other can occur.

FIG. 3 illustrates how, due to the features according to the invention,the ventilation of the contents of the respective containers 4 isensured. When the plate In represented in this figure bears on theground 17 the space 18a between the ground 17 and the supporting facescommunicates through the apertures 12a with the atmosphere. The contentsof the container 40 communicates through the bottom apertures 6a and theaperture 3a in the supporting face with the space 18 and therefore alsowith the atmosphere.

Of a second holder, stacked on the first one, the space 18b below theplate lb communicates with the atmosphere so that air can flow freelythrough the apertures 1512, the container 4a, the space 18 and theapertures 15a. An air current is also possible over the upper side ofthe container 4a, viz. through the aperture 15b, through the spacebetween the container 4a and the plate situated over same to theopposite analogous apertures 15. Also an air current in a verticaldirection through the superposed containers of a number of stackedholders is not impeded.

FIG. 4 illustrates how each container is preferably closed by a,preferably transparant, foil 19 provided with ventilation apertures 20.In this foil and at each corner thereof an aperture 21 is formed almostcoinciding with the comers 22 of the container 4; the foil is secured bypulling same on the contairier whereby the corners protrude through theapertures 21.

FIG. shows another embodiment according to the invention. Here the plateis constituted by a framework of three longitudinal ribs 23a, 23b and23c with U-shaped cross-section, which are inter-connected by fiveshorter ribs 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d and 24e. The upper edges of the ribs,merge into the rims 25a and 25b respectively, the latter of which mergesinto the upstanding edge 26 which completely surrounds the plate. Theupper side of the ribs is closed by an upper sheet 27 which is securedto the ribs in a suitable way, e.g. by welding, and which is providedwith the large square openings 28.

These openings 28 accommodate the containers, two of which are shown anddenoted by the reference numerals 29, 30. The container 39 is a smallerone while the container 30 is a larger one of which the bottom is formedwith two downwardly pressed out parts 31a, 3112, which fit into theopenings 28. The bottoms of each container are also provided with smallopenings 32.

Of the long ribs 23a, 23c the under edge is raised over a certaindistance, forming openings 33a and 33b, in the same way the short ribs240 and 24e are provided with openings 34a and 34b; as the end of thecenter rib 23b rises gradually at 35a, 35b in the same way as the endsof the center rib 24c (at 36) the whole space under the plate and abovecontainers whereunder can be ventilated by air currents, which flowthrough there openings.

To prevent a sidewise shifting of a number of stacked units the upperedge of the containers are provided with cams 37 which cooperate withthe undersides of the ribs of the unit stacked thereon.

Also when a single plate with containers is placed on a flat undergroundthe ventilation of the contents is ensured. A buyer of a containersimply pulls it loose from the plate which is possible without greateffort, particularly when the containers and the plate are made ofplastic. The closing foil 19 prevents tempering with the contents,particularly in supermarkets.

When all containers of a plate have been sold the shopkeeper throws awaythe plate.

The holder according to the invention provides a solution for theproblem how to transfer sensitive and perishable vegetables and fruitfrom the grower to the consumer without additional operations likerepaclting and the like, whilst ensuring an adequate protection andmaintaining conditions which prevent decay in the best possible way.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a tray having a plurality of apertures, andassociated individual containers for vegetables and fruit or the like,each said container being detachably secured to said tray, each trayaperture having dimensions approximating the configuration of the bottomwall of an associated container, openings extending through the bottomwall of said container, at least one of said openings being in alignmentwith said tray aperture, means on said tray forming supporting faces forportions of the container bottom wall, further apertures in said traylocated exteriorly of the vertical projection of container on said trayto provide communication with surrounding atmosphere, thecontainer-supporting regions of said tray adjacent its rim dependingbelow the top thereof so as to form supporting surface means whenstacking a plurality of container-loaded trays.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1, including a plurality ofdownwardly depending extensions of generally V-shaped cross-sectionprovided on said tray rim so as to reinforce the tray rim portions.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1, including downwardly dependingreinforcing wall members extending from at least two sides of each ofsaid container-supporting means on said tray, said wall member beingpositioned on the sides disposed furthest from the tra rim.

4. A combination as claimed in c aim 1, including a plurality ofprojections about each of said container-supporting tray means, saidprojections being adapted to accurately position said containers on saidtray.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tray and saidcontainers are each constituted of a plastic material, said containersbeing secured to said tray by separable spot weldsv

1. In combination, a tray having a plurality of apertures, andassociated individual containers for vegetables and fruit or the like,each said container being detachably secured to said tray, each trayaperture having dimensions approximating the configuration of the bottomwall of an associated container, openings extending through the bottomwall of said container, at leAst one of said openings being in alignmentwith said tray aperture, means on said tray forming supporting faces forportions of the container bottom wall, further apertures in said traylocated exteriorly of the vertical projection of container on said trayto provide communication with surrounding atmosphere, thecontainer-supporting regions of said tray adjacent its rim dependingbelow the top thereof so as to form supporting surface means whenstacking a plurality of containerloaded trays.
 2. A combination asclaimed in claim 1, including a plurality of downwardly dependingextensions of generally V-shaped cross-section provided on said tray rimso as to reinforce the tray rim portions.
 3. A combination as claimed inclaim 1, including downwardly depending reinforcing wall membersextending from at least two sides of each of said container-supportingmeans on said tray, said wall member being positioned on the sidesdisposed furthest from the tray rim.
 4. A combination as claimed inclaim 1, including a plurality of projections about each of saidcontainer-supporting tray means, said projections being adapted toaccurately position said containers on said tray.
 5. A combination asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said tray and said containers are eachconstituted of a plastic material, said containers being secured to saidtray by separable spot welds.